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StudentsFirstNY Director of Organizing Tenicka Boyd Shares Who She Is #ThankfulFor This Year

I have the privilege of working with a terrific team at StudentsFirstNY, which includes more than a dozen dedicated organizers who work with thousands of parents across New York City. In advance of Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment to share a couple of the people who I am #ThankfulFor this year. These folks have inspired me, and they make the work we do to advance a quality education for all students possible.

First and foremost, I am thankful for my extraordinary and determined team of organizers. These incredible men and women meet with parents every day, educating communities and empowering families to fight for a future where every child is equipped with the quality education they need to succeed.

I’m also thankful for all of the parents who have been a part of our efforts. Our organizers met with thousands and thousands parents over the past year. Their passion and perseverance have elevated the dire need for education reform, in New York City and across the state. They’ve secured key victories, like the Audible Alarms Bill, that have made our schools safer, and advocated for increasing teacher quality with the Governor’s Opportunity Agenda. Public leaders are taking note, and our parents will continue to urge leaders to make education a key priority next year.

While I draw strength and inspiration from all the organizers and parents working with us here at StudentsFirstNY, I’m also thankful for the incredible leaders who have paved the way for the movement. We face many challenges to ensuring every child, everywhere, has a quality teacher, a great school, and a fair shot at commanding his or her future. But with incredible people like the parents and organizers who are part of the StudentsFirstNY community, I know we will succeed.

StudentsFirstNY is New York's leading voice for students who depend on public education for the skills they need to succeed, but who are too often failed by a system that puts special interests, rather than the interests of children, first. Join us in celebrating the people in your life that have inspired you to seek and fight for a better world. Tweet at us @StudentsFirstNY using #ThankfulFor and let us know who else is out there making a difference.